During one of the sessions at the ICBR held in Basel, Switzerland, participants discussed the implications of the new EU battery regulations, which came into effect in August 2023, for automotive manufacturers. This article provides a summary of the key points raised in that discussion.

In his presentation, Willy Tomboy from Detomserve discussed the connection between the battery regulation and the ongoing revisions to the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive. One of the main topics was the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system. Under the revised battery regulation, the EPR framework has been strengthened, introducing more detailed requirements for manufacturers compared to the previous battery directive.

Regarding EV batteries, in addition to the enhanced producer responsibility system in the ELV Directive, EV manufacturers, i.e., automotive OEMs, will bear this responsibility.               

Furthermore, the term “ATF+” will be introduced for certified automotive dismantlers handling EV batteries, and new standards required for businesses handling EV batteries will be added. EV batteries are also included as a component in automotive remanufacturing (reman). In this way, the battery regulation significantly influences the requirements of the ELV Directive concerning EV batteries. However, some definitions between the two regulations are not fully harmonized, and the automotive industry is currently requesting the EU to make adjustments.

Marco Ottaviani, a regulatory consultant from DGSA, Italy, gave a speech on the new battery category in the 2025 edition of the “ADR: International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.” The newly revised ADR will include “sodium-ion batteries,” which need to be distinguished from existing batteries containing sodium. The necessary packaging and requirements differ, and sodium-ion batteries may require special measures during transport depending on their condition. Since the ADR regulates the land transport of hazardous goods, it may be unfamiliar to stakeholders in Japan’s battery industry. However, in Europe, where land transport is predominant, it is essential for businesses handling batteries to stay updated with the biennial revisions.

Sophie Poidevin of Febelauto, a producer responsibility organization in Belgium, gave a talk about an application introduced by the organization to manage the flow of EV batteries. The background of introducing the QR code application to improve the traceability of the EV flow lies in the significant decline in domestic ELV supply in recent years, partly due to the export of EVs overseas. With the introduction of the app, Febelauto reports that data management, including time savings and accuracy, has significantly improved, and vehicle traceability has been enhanced. In the EU, the introduction of battery passports has been decided from 2027 under the battery regulation, and since Febelauto’s application aligns with the battery passport requirements, it is said that integrating the app with the passport will be quite seamless. The development of the battery passport in Europe is currently in its final stages, while the system independently introduced by Febelauto already demonstrates the results of managing EV batteries through a digital app, serving as a model case for learning the necessary modifications after implementation.

（Iruniverse Yukari, translated by kasumizhang）

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